


I'll Always Laugh With You

by Aaron_The_8th_Demon



Series: Good Enough [1]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Anxiety, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post 2018-2019 NHL Season, Tourette's Syndrome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 13:24:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18344564
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaron_The_8th_Demon/pseuds/Aaron_The_8th_Demon
Summary: People think Brad’s bad decisions are a conscious choice… but they’re really, really not. Sometimes, he just does things and can’t help it.[For anyone scared to read this because they think Tourette's is some horrible disease, it's not. It's commonly portrayed in media as the behavior disorder that makes you scream swear words at people no matter how inaccurate that really is.]





	I'll Always Laugh With You

**Author's Note:**

> This is a little angsty, but just barely. All the angst is in the past in this fic. Marchy has Tourette's in this one and so he gets nervous about it back when he was a younger player. Also this is totally me making excuses for his behavior, including (even though it's not directly mentioned in this fic) the Licking Of Ryan Callahan.

People think Brad’s bad decisions are a conscious choice… but they’re really, really not. Sometimes, he just does things and can’t help it. He tries to make it look like it was on purpose after the fact, because for some reason that makes it less embarrassing - if people think he chooses these actions.

But half his trash-talk is just mean spirited words that he doesn’t know he’s saying until after he’s already said them, so he has to quickly dress them up as a joke or else get fucking clocked by his own teammates.

And sometimes he hits people and then they’re hitting him back before he understands that the vibrating in his arm is from his fist connecting with another body.

And then there’s all his “jokes” about how much he loves Patrice… but that’s different, somehow. He does love Patrice. A lot. And maybe at first he didn’t mean to just blurt those things out, but people thought he was kidding and so he  _ had _ to keep doing it. Even Patrice thought Brad was kidding… for awhile, anyway.

Back then Brad had pulled him aside, and explained everything.

_ “I can’t always help the things I do,” Brad mumbles, already feeling himself turning red. He hates this part of himself, the section of brain that doesn’t quite work the way it’s supposed to. “It’s, um, it’s called Tourette’s Syndrome… I don’t know if you ever heard of it. You probably haven’t.” _

_ “Tourette is a French name,” Bergy shrugs. “So tell me about your syndrome, Marchy.” _

_ And he loves Bergy for saying it. He knew he can always count on him to be objective and understanding. “Okay, so… like when I elbowed that guy and got suspended. I didn’t mean to do it. I can’t always help the things I do… or the things that I say. Sometimes it just happens and I can’t stop it. I just… you’re my friend, man, and I don’t know who else I can say this shit to, you know?” _

_ “But why are you so worried about it, now?” Bergy frowns. “We got the Cup and the season’s over. You can’t get penalties anymore… not for a few months, anyway.” _

_ “Yeah, but look where we’re going,” Brad points out, mindful of his volume. The rest of the team doesn’t need to hear this. “We’re about to be in DC, man, and I just fucking know… I’ll do something. I’ll fuck something up, it’ll be all over the place, and I’ll get traded-” _

_ “Brad.” Patrice lands both palms heavily on his shoulders. “Take a deep breath. You helped win a Stanley Cup for the first time in decades. They’re not going to trade you. It’s going to be okay. What are you so worried that you’ll do?” _

_ “I don’t know… say something to somebody, probably. I have a lot of phonic tics…” At Bergy’s confused expression, Brad sighs. “Like, making stupid noises or yelling swears or shit like that. Saying things I don’t mean. Or I could just fucking start laughing when it’s really fucking inappropriate.” _

_ His friend nods. “Okay. Well. If it’s not an appropriate time and you start laughing, then I’ll start laughing, too. Then they’ll have to kick both our asses.” _

_ Brad’s eyebrows go up. “Really?” _

_ “Of course.” _

_ Patrice Bergeron, a fucking alternate captain, has just offered to make an ass of himself in public out of solidarity if need be. Brad fucking loves him. _

“It’s crooked,” Patrice comments, reaching for his tie and moving it. “There.” A perfect smile, because Patrice is perfect in every way. “You ready?”

Brad nods and smiles back. It’s like ten feet to the car, but they always hold hands when they’re walking, even if it’s really short like this. The car gets packed, of course, and they’re off to the wedding of… one of Patrice’s billion relatives. Brad’s too hot and these are new dress shoes so they hurt his feet, and as such he can’t be bothered to remember exact details at the moment. Also because summer in Canada is fucking short, and he shouldn’t have to torture himself during the brief period of nice weather by stuffing himself into a suit.

Everyone’s standing outside when they get there, waiting for the cue to actually enter the church. They’re all speaking in French - Brad knows some by now, but he’s a long way off from fluency, so he can’t really catch what they’re saying. The ceremony will be in French, too, so he hopes it’s not too long.

“Remember, you promised,” Brad whispers as they’re finally going in, holding hands again. He doesn’t have to say the rest -  _ you promised you’ll laugh, too. _ He hasn’t needed to say it in awhile, and it’s got nothing to do with Patrice; he says it to reassure himself. It’s never been necessary, somehow. Brad’s managed to hold it together without having any noticeable tics.

“I still promise,” his husband murmurs, because he always does and still means it.

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a conversation I had with my boyfriend tonight. His sister is getting married in a few months and I was talking about how I just *know* I'm going to start laughing in the middle of the ceremony, because I have Tourette's and that's one of my tics, and then his mom will kick my ass. So he said that if I do he'll start laughing too because then she'll have to kick both our asses... I feel like it's something Bergy would probably do for Marchy in this situation, when you do something dumb in solidarity just because you love someone that much.


End file.
